Election Digest

Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend maintains a narrow edge over Republican Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in the race for governor, according to a new poll.

The poll, released yesterday by Gonzales/Arscott Research & Communications, found that 47 percent of likely voters would vote for Townsend and 43 percent for Ehrlich. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

Among likely voters in the Democratic primary for Maryland comptroller, former Gov. William Donald Schaefer leads Secretary of State John T. Willis 48 percent to 23 percent, the poll found.

Ehrlich reaches out as advocate to blind

Republican Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. visited a center for the blind yesterday to promote his record in Congress as an advocate for issues of concern to the visually impaired.

Speaking at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland in Southwest Baltimore, Ehrlich told about 70 people that as governor, he would work to improve rehabilitation, transportation and employment services for the blind.

He also spoke about the Blind Empowerment Act, a bill he is sponsoring in Congress that would increase the amount of money that blind people could earn without losing Social Security benefits.